A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ball sleeve adapted for the simple, convenient and silent insertion, storage, and retrieval of golf balls during a game.
B. Description of the Prior Art
There are in the prior art various golf ball holders in which a number of golf balls are stacked in a cylindrical housing, with the golf balls being able to be dispensed one at a time from the lower end of the housing. During actual play of a golf game, this provides the player with a convenient means of obtaining a new golf ball when the previous golf ball is either lost or damaged.
Typical of these devices are holders comprised of a rigid golf ball holder and articulating means to retain the golf balls within the holder. Some retain golf balls in a cylindrical container by means of resilient or displaceable fingers (Houser, U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,775; Sanders, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,209; Naggar, U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,118) or an annular rubber retaining member that is deflected to allow ball removal (Morss, U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,225), Another holder comprises a cylindrical container with wire ball retaining members (Joliot, U.S. Pat. No, 3,777,933; Motard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,013). Still another requires removal of a cap at the bottom of the holder to release the golf balls from their holder (Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,754,495). One integrally molded holder with two open ends retains the golf balls within the holder either by means of a holding means comprising integrally molded cylindrical tubes or by means of a spring tongue. (Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,678).
Another slightly different type of holder is formed of substantially rigid but somewhat pliable material comprising a generally cylindrical tubular member with two open ends and an elongated aperture running the length of the member. (Hoyt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,332). Golf balls are inserted into the holder by displacing the pliable walls of the tubular member sufficiently to allow insertion therein. The '332 holder retains golf balls by means of stop members at the upper and lower ends of the tubular member.
None of the prior art holders solve the problem that golfers face of maintaining the respectful silence demanded of players while another concentrates on playing the game. Further, all of the prior art holders are relatively expensive to produce, requiring creation of molded tubular housings for retaining the golf balls and creation of articulating ball retention members. Still further, holders made of rigid material may scratch other golf items, or be scratched by them, causing superficial and unsightly marks.
The ball sleeve of the present invention provides a ball holder that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and has no articulating parts, dispenses balls easily and silently, and will not mark other equipment. It can be folded completely flat when empty, and rolled or stuffed into a small area when space is at a premium.